Spin-polarization of carriers in semiconductor materials for spin-based microelectronic devices

US6956269B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Vladislav Vashchenko · Palo Alto, US
• Michael Mian · Livermore, US
• Peter J. Hopper · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 22, 2003
• Grant date: Oct 18, 2005
• Expiry date: Dec 22, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D48/385

Abstract

Spin-based microelectronic devices can be realized by utilizing spin-polarized ferromagnetic materials positioned near, or embedded in, a semiconductor channel of a microelectronic device. Applying an electric field across the channel can cause carriers flowing through the channel to deviate toward one of the ferromagnetic materials, such that the spin of the carriers tends to align with the spin polarization of the respective material. Such a process allows for the controlled spin-polarization of carriers in a semiconductor channel, and hence the development of spin-based microelectronics, without having to inject spin-polarized carriers from a ferromagnet into a semiconductor channel. Such a process avoids the Schottky barrier problem plaguing existing approaches to spin-based microelectronics, while allowing the devices to be based on silicon substrates that are well-known and used in the industry.